Percussion-fuse



L. NIXON.

PERCUSSION FUSE. APPUCATION FILED MAR. 29. I917.

1,3 1 1 ,835. Patented July29, 1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' Lewis xon, 01 NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY.

PERCUSSION-FUSE;

To all whom it mag concern Be it known that I, LEWIS NIXON, a citizenof the United States, residing. at New Brunswick, in the county of- Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in PercussioneFuses; and I do hereby declare the fol lowing to be a full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and'use'the same.- 4

My present invention relates to improvements in percussion fuses intended more especially for bombs to be dropped from aeroplanes, or -to-..-be thrown from trench -1nortars,in-which there is comparatively low velocity imparted to theprojectile when the bomb is launched, and for hand grenades.

Myinvention is intended to provide a percussion fuse. which will explode the bomb ir-- respective of the point of impact, which'in otherwords is effective whether the bomb strikes'nosefirst, breech first, or sidewise, on impact. 7.

My invention comprises broadly a spring 7 impressed plunger, which is locked in place by a loose trigger, and the trigger is rigidly held in the safety position by certain lock-- ing means, which. will be hereinafter described, but which are automatically released on the launching of the projectile, leaving the trigger free to act when'the projectile strikes the target;-

Myinv'ention will loe rnore fully understood ;after reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side'elevation of the complete fuse with theremovable cap released.

Fig. 2 shows a central vertical section through the fuse w hen' in the safety -posi tion', parts' beingshown in elevation.

Fig. 3 shows a section along the line 33 of Fig.2 and'looking in the direction of the arrows, the cap, plug and tape being omitted.-

Fig. 4: is a. detail showing an interior view of the cap, with part of the tape protruding therefrom.

Fig. 5 is a detail showing in perspective the safety pin and Fig. 6 is a detail showing the trigger in perspective. 7

'* Like parts are indicated by corresponding reference letters throughout the several views.

A represents the fuse stock, which is closed at the forward end by the screw plug B,

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented July 29, 1919.

Application filed March V29, 1917. Serial No. 158,280.

The stem of the plunger is provided-with an annular notch f, adapted to engage the curved rib h on the trigger This trigger has a weighted arm W. The arm 71. of the trigger is tapered slightly as at k at theback to engage in the tapered notch i of the locking pin I, which locking pin has a curved back I in the form of a plate adapted to fit in a countersunk groove a in the fuse stock A, as shown in Fig. 3.

This locking pin I projects through the screw plug L, screwed into the side of the fuse stock, and ,its back I is normally pressed outward by'the spring K mounted in a recess in the plug L, as shown in Fig. 2. The locking pin is normally held in engagement with the trigger against the action of the spring K by suitable means such as a tape M wrapped around the head A of the fuse stock, and having its free end passing through'the slot 91 of the cap N, where it is held in place by suitable clamping piece N.

This cap is adapted to slip over the head of the fuse stock and is detachably connected thereto by the screw P, having the butterfly head P, which screw engages in the-block O screwed in the outer end-of the fuse stock. The parts are shown in the safety position in Fig. 2, and it will be obvious from inspecting said figure that the locking pin I will hold the trigger H in engagement with the stem'of the plunger so that the plunger cannot fly forward under the action of the spring G.

The screw P will hold the cap N securely cap N, being more or less loose on the fuse stock, will tend to slip off therefrom, owing to the pressure of the air on its forward face; and this pressure may be increased by flaring the edges of the cap somewhat as M, and as soon as the tape isunwoun'd, the

spring K will throw the looking pinl haekward, releasing the trigger, but which will be still heldin place by vthe engagement of. the" lug kin the annular groove f; bums" soon as the projectile strikes th'etargetlno matter in what direction it may strike, the weighted end k ofthe trigger will sha'lfe'the trigger looseaand the spring will throw the plunger F. forward, exploding the primer, which will explode the detonator, and} thereupon explode the bomb;

It will thus hev seen that the fuse: is absolutely safeso long as the cap is on, and: that the cap can not come oif until the screw 1 is removed; but when the cap: comes off and unwindstlieytape, the fuse willv be fully armed and will explode when striking: any solid object, no matter from"what-sdireetion the impact may occur;

Any suitable tape may be usedgsuch as cloth, thin s'teel, or the like, or the winding may be of wire or other mateniah'tlie'funda mental. idea being: that there-is 'detaehable weight attached tothe f use stock byga-flexi-t bleconnection, which wlillunwind or become loose after-the projectile has beenthrown; and when: unwound, will releasethe' locking; pin and will arm the fuse; 1' f 1 t It will be: obvious that various modifi'eations might be'made inwthei herein described apparatus, and in the construction, combination, and arrangementof parts, which could be used without departing from thespirit of my invention. v '7 r Having thus described-my invention, What I- claim and desireto secure byfLetters? Patent oftheUnited States iswzf V r j 1.: In a fuse for projectiles"of}the character, described, the combination with a fuse; stock and a. primer mounted therein, the said fuse stock having a ;-cl1amloered head, and a cap loosely mounted ionfsaid head, o fa spring impressed plunger, mounted. inf-{said fuse stock and having its stem rojecting into j said chambered head, a trigger jengag ng; SiLlCl' stem, a: lo ckingi pin; nominally holding said trigger in engagement with: said stem,

and means for holding saidlockin" pin in engagement with wsaidttriggerand or auto-' manta-11y reiteasing same, comprising a' spi ing normally tending to throw said looking pin out of engagement With said trigger 5 anda, flexible strip wound over saidl head an 'sai dlbcli'ing. pin and having its outer"eiid"se*- .jeuredito saldr-capgisubstantially as described,

2. In a fuse for projectiles of the char acter described, 7 t-he eembinutien with a fuse 6 steek and "a primen: meimt d therein, the said fuse; stock having! a elimibered head; and a. tap l-eeselly'" mennteda 'onwid: heady-0f a spring: impressed -'plhngsen mountedi in saicl fuse-"stock and-having? its stem: projecting into said-chambered: a t gg s e ingrsaid'i trigger: in; en

stemg. andmeansifoi holfling.sajidi loek ingt pin in engagement withvsaidrm'iggerranddor 7 automatically releasing-same; a spring normally tending tmthrow saidaloeb" ing 'pin out ofengagement With-said trigger;

andwwa; flexible stiriprwoundeover 'sagid h dz and said; locking. pin and having: ibSi'OUtQl 7 end sedured to saida'eaipg with; means for normally locking, 'cap omsaid: stoekand? fo12re1e1sing-sammwhen1 desired tmithrow i 3.11am fuse forzsprojectiles oii the'ehmn f 8o tomatical ly neleasing; same,- comprisimg}, a spring normallytending to th'rbw said. lock-- 9 0 ingipiirout oi: engagement. withsaid't igger, a flex'ible'strip wound over fuse: stocks and ;:IIOBHTEHyTJhGIQiQgX saidv loelizing I pin against the aotion ofsaid spring, andf. mmnss automatically operated whli'vthd projectile,

is thrown -fi1rcausingfiflid strip? t OQinW'ihd thereby releiising; saidv "looking api'ng: 1110 stantially aS j-'described. I 

